Method and apparatus for creating hand-chiseled effect

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus is disclosed for decorating concrete including a mould form having a flat base surface to which a paper pattern is attached with the pattern including a printed outline of a desired design and electrical conductors imprinted on the paper within the lines of the design for enabling attachment of individual explosive buttons to required portions of the pattern prior to the filling of the form with fresh concrete. Each explosive member comprises an individual button extending inwardly from the base surface of the form and which buttons are embedded in the concrete upon the hardening of the concrete; all the explosive buttons are simultaneously detonated after removal or loosening of the form to create a chiseled effect in the face of the form. Another aspect of the invention resides in strip members attached to the pattern to provide a groove in the concrete to define an outline of the design with the explosive means being positioned inwardly of the groove so that the effect of detonation of the explosive members is confined to the area inside the groove members.

April 24, 1973 J. L. REGAN 3,72@,3

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CREATING HAND-CHISELED EFFECT Filed Jan. 11,1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Apfii 24, 1973 J REGAN 3,729,535

METHOD AN!) AIPAIL-XF S WW CREATING HAND-CHISBLED EFFECT Filed Jan. 11,1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Q 3,729,535 METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR CREATING HAND-CHISELED EFFECT James L. Regan, 409 DunkelSt., Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 Filed Jan. 11, 1972, Ser. No. 217,000 Int.Cl. B44b 1/22 US. Cl. 264-84 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Amethod and apparatus is disclosed for decorating concrete including amould form having a fiat base surface to which a paper pattern isattached with the pattern including a printed outline of a desireddesign and electrical conductors imprinted on the paper within the linesof the design for enabling attachment of individual explosive buttons torequired portions of the pattern prior to the filling of the form withfresh concrete. Each explosive member comprises an individual buttonextending inwardly from the base surface of the form and which buttonsare embedded in the concrete upon the hardening of the concrete; all theexplosive buttons are simultaneously detonated after removal orloosening of the form to create a chiseled effect in the face of theform. Another aspect of the invention resides in strip members attachedto the pattern to provide a groove in the concrete to define an outlineof the design with the explosive means being positioned inwardly of thegroove so that the effect of detonation of the explosive members isconfined to the area inside the groove members.

This invention is in the field of decorative design for mation inpermanent structural members such as poured concrete or the like and isspecifically directed to the provision of a decorative design having ahand-chiseled appearance.

Decorative designs have previously been incorporated in stone andconcrete members by hand ohiselling or carving and, in the case ofpre-poured concrete, by the construction of special design forms inwhich the concrete is poured. These expedients are relatively expensiveand while a hand-chiseled design is highly desirable from an aestheticpoint of view, the increased labor costs and the availability of skilledlabor have frequently precluded the employment of such designs.

This invention enables the obtainment of a design in a concrete body orthe like which has the outer appearance of a hand-chiseled or carveddesign, but which is easily formed by non-skilled labor at a miniumexpenditure of time and effort. Moreover, a wide variety of designs canbe formed using the same basic method by the employment of differentpatterns having a wide variety of designs, shapes and sizes.

Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provideapparatus and method for providing a design in a concrete body which hasthe appearance of a handcarved or chipped design.

Obtainment of the object of this invention is enabled through theprovision of a concrete form having a generally fiat base surface towhich a paper pattern is attached. The paper pattern includes a printedoutline of the desired design along with electrical conductor means towhich individual explosive elements are attached. Each individualexplosive element comprises a button formed Patented Apr. 24, 1973 ofplastic and having an explosive cap mounted on the outer end of anupwardly extending stem with the lower end of the button comprising abase flange which is tacked into position by small nails or the likedriven through the paper pattern into the wooden form. Each patternincludes visible instructions indicating the position in which theexplosive buttons are to be located for the particular design. Inaddition, strip means are provided in the form of moulding strips whichare attached to the pattern by small nails driven through the stripsinto the base surface of the form to define the design outline in aframe-like manner. The explosive buttons are positioned on the interiorof the frame design inwardly of the moulding strips.

Liquified concrete or the like is poured into the mould followingpositioning of all of the explosive buttons and the outline definingstrips and the mould is removed or loosened following setting of theconcrete. Electrical voltage is applied to the circuit on the pattern todetonate the individual explosive members simultaneously to create achiseled effect in the area of the concrete body in which the explosivemembers are located. Indentations formed in the concrete body by themoulding strips define the outline of the design and confine the effectof the detonation of the explosive members to the area inwardly of thestrips.

The manner in which the instant invention achieves its objectives Willbe better undenstood when the following written description is read inconjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the base member of a concrete form towhich the design pattern is attached;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view with parts removed illustrating thecomplete form filled with concrete with the explosive design formingcomponents being illustrated in position in the form;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a completed design formed by theinventive apparatus and method;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an inverted explosive button employed inpractice of the subject invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another type explosive button; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of yet another type explosive button.

Attention is initially invited to FIG. 3 of the drawings whichillustrates a poured concrete body 10 having a design in the form of across 12 which has the appearance of having been hand-chiseled in thefacing surface 14 of the concrete body 10. This invention is directed tothe method and apparatus for providing the design 12 in the manner shownin FIG. 3.

The first step in practice of the invention comprises the attachment ofa paper pattern 16 to plywood sheet 18 which forms the bottom of aconcrete form 19. Plywood sheet 18 includes an upwardly facing basesurface 20 to which the pattern 16 is attached by adhesive, tacks, orany other convenient means.

Pattern 16 is provided with a printed outline 22 of the desired design,which in this case, happens to be a cross. In addition, pattern 16includes pattern conductor elements 24 which can be of printed-circuitconstruction or which can be individual wire members adhesively securedto the face of the pattern 16. Detonator contacts 26 are provided on theends of the pattern conductors 24 as shown in FIG. 1 with the detonatorcontacts being connectable to a source of voltage for a purpose tobecome apparent hereinafter. In addition, pattern 16 includes printedcircles or the like 28 which indicate the locations at which individualexplosive elements in the form of individual explosive buttons 30 are tobe positioned.

Each explosive button comprises a stem support generally designated 32formed of plastic or the like and having an explosive cap 34 on one endand a base flange 36 on the other end. Base flange 36 is provided withfirst and second radially extending conductor strips 38 having theirinner ends adjacent an axial bore 40 extending from the base flangeupwardly to the explosive caps 34. Conductors 41 extend upwardly fromthe radial conductor strips through bore 40 for engagement with theexplosive caps 34. The base surface of the flange 36 is normallyprotected by a removable protective label 44 as shown in FIG. 6 andwhich may, if desired, protect a self-sticking adhesive on the bottom offlange 36. Positioning holes 42 are provided adjacent the outer ends ofthe conductors 38 and extend through the base flange 36 for enabling theattachment of the explosive buttons to the plywood sheet 18 by means ofsmall tacks or brads in an obvious manner.

FIG. 6 illustrates an explosive cap 34 in the shape of the roughenedhalf of a sphere while FIGS. 7 and 8 respectively illustrate explosivecaps of different configuration which would be used for providing adifferent decorative efiect in accordance with the design being formedand the nature of the material in which the design is to be formed. Theexplosive buttons 30' illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 are otherwiseidentical to the button illustrated in FIG. 6. It should be noted thatthe explosive cap is of conventional electrically detonatable materialwhich can be varied in size or strength in accordance with theparticular design.

In any event, explosive buttons 30 are positioned in the printed areas28 on the pattern 16 by means of tacks or brads 48 passing through theapertures 42 and driven through the pattern 16 into the plywood sheet18. Adhesive-means can also be employed for attaching the buttons ifdesired. The position of the individual explosive buttons will obviouslyvary in accordance with the particular design to be formed. It should benoted that the buttons are positioned so that the radially extendingconductor strips 38 each engage one, but not both, of the patternconductor members 24.

Moulding strips 50 are positioned on the printed outline 22 in themanner shown in FIG. 2 so as to define the edge of the design beingformed. All of the explosive buttons are mounted on the interior of theframe design defined by the moulding strip members 50 as is clearlyshown in FIG. 2. The form 19 is then filled with fresh liquifiedconcrete which is permitted to set in a wellknown manner. Followingsetting of the concrete, the mould -19 is removed or loosened and thedetonator contacts 26 are connected to a conventional selectivelyoperable voltage source which is actuated to detonate each of theindividual explosive buttons 30 simultaneously to provide the design 12shown in FIG. 3. If the mould is not removed, but is merely loosened byloosening the form ties prior to detonation, the mould would contain allflying debris notwithstanding the fact that the blast would lift themould away from the poured body. The detonation of the explosive buttonprovides a handchiseled effect which is confined to the design framed bya groove 51 formed by moulding strips 50 in an obvious manner.

Numerous modifications and variations of the subject invention willoccur to those of skill in the art; for example, a very coarse mesh,like a chickenwire pattern, of primer cord could be employed to createunusual body comprising the steps of positioning a plurality ofexplosive means in predetermined positions in a general outline of thedesign to be formed in the interior of an empty concrete form, fillingsaid form with fresh concrete, permitting said concrete to set anddetonating said explosive means so as to create the desired design.

2. The method of claim 1 additionally including the step of positioninga pattern having an outline of a desired design on a base surface of theform prior to the positioning of the explosive means in the form so thatthe pattern provides an indication of the location in which saidexplosive means is to be positioned.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said explosive means is positioned onsaid pattern in contact with electrical conductor means and wherein saiddetonation of said explosive means is effected by the subsequent step ofapplying electrical voltage to said pattern conductor means.

4. The method of claim 2 additionally including the step of attachingstrip elements to said base surface to define a framed outline of thedesired design within the interior of said framed outline said explosivemeans is positioned so that the effect of detonation of said explosivemeans is confined to said interior of said framed outline.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said explosive means is positionedupwardly a spaced distance from said base surface of said form.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said explosive means is positionedon said pattern means in contact with electrical pattern conductor meansprovided on the surface of said pattern and wherein said detonation ofsaid explosive means is eifected by the application of electricalvoltage to said pattern conductor means.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said explosive means is positioned onsaid form by the step of driving brads through openings in the explosivemeans into the form.

8. The means for forming a desired design in a poured concrete bodycomprising a form having a base surface, explosive means connectable tosaid base surface in general outline of said design prior to the fillingof said fom with fresh concrete, means for detonating said explosivemeans following the setting of concrete in the form for effectingformation of said design in the surface of the concrete formed byengagement with said base surface of the form.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein said explosive means comprisesindividual explosive buttons.

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein said explosive buttons eachcomprise a stem support having an explosive cap on one end and a baseflange on the other end with said base flange facing said base surfaceof the form.

11. The invention of claim 9 additionally including pattern meansconnected to said base surface with said pattern including a visiblemeans for defining said design so that attachment of said design to saidbase surface enables correct positioning of said explosive buttons onsaid base surface.

12. The invention of claim 11 wherein said means for. detonating saidexplosive buttons comprises button mounted electrical conductorsextending between said explosive caps and said base flange and patternconductor means on the surface of said pattern engaging said buttonmounted conductor so that voltage applied to said pattern conductormeans causes detonation of said explosive caps.

13. The invention of claim 12 wherein said stem support is a hollowplastic member.

14. The invention of claim -13- additionally including design definingstrip means connectable to said base surface for defining the outline ofthe design with said explosive buttons being mounted interiorly of saidstrip means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,076,408 2/1963 Poulter et a1.102-23 6 FOREIGN PATENTS 1951 Great Britain 102--24 (HC) 1966 France264-84 US. Cl. X.R.

